FloTHERM is powerful 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software that predicts airflow and heat transfer in and around electronic equipment, from components and boards up to complete systems. Learn More →

Consulting

CFD Design Services and Thermal Characterization Testing

Since 1988, companies worldwide have turned to Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis for thermal and airflow design services as well as thermal characterization of IC packages, power-LEDs, and other discrete components.

As a full-service organization, Mentor Graphics can offer a range of expertise to:

Help clients optimize their designs for thermal and fluid flow efficiencies

Assist in realizing cost and time benefits

Manage the entire project from initial concept to the delivery of a finished solution

Test and measure thermal characterization of components for semiconductor and LED manufacturers, packaging houses and system integrators

Process of engagement

Acting on your instructions and in consultation with your team, our engineers will provide comprehensive simulation and testing services. You can be confident that your project is backed by the collective knowledge, practical experience and technical insight of the Mechanical Analysis Division of Mentor Graphics, the world’s leading authority in thermal and airflow modeling.

Secure professional resource augmenting your capabilities

A majority of our clients are similar to yours -- big and small alike, they all face critical challenges but lack time or in-house expertise. More often than not, our solutions meet not only your needs but also provide significant savings in both time and money. Rest assured, confidentiality is guaranteed for your commercially-sensitive projects.

Thermal Services

Thermal Services

Since 1988, companies worldwide have turned to Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis for thermal and airflow design services as well as thermal characterization of IC packages, power-LEDs, and other discrete components.

Scenarios and Deliverables

Scenarios and Deliverables

Thermal Design

As the client you are tasked with developing a thermal solution for your product but lack the experience, time, or tools, to address this alone. We work with you to determine the requirements and constraints of your product and degrees of freedom for the thermal solution. Once the goals and design constraints have been established our team can optimize the design and study the sensitivity to the various design inputs and deliver the best design. Deliverable: a report detailing the model inputs, results output, thermal design specifications, and thermal models.

Thermal Modeling

As the client you are tasked with predicting the thermal performance of your product but lack the time or tools to address this alone. Based on your inputs we construct a thermal analysis model to predict the performance of your design. Deliverable: A report detailing the model inputs, results output, recommendations and thermal model.

Physical Model Creation

As the client you are tasked with developing a thermal model of your product but lack the tools to address this. Based on the mechanical and thermal specifications of your product we develop the appropriate FloTHERM thermal model. Deliverable: FloTHERM thermal model.

Thermal Characterization Tests

As the client you are tasked with obtaining accurate thermal data for semiconductor and LEDs. We will test and measure your designs. Deliverable: Thermal characterization data report.

Areas of Expertise

IC Packaging

Mentor Graphics Mechanical has invested over 25 years in developing the techniques and tools required to predict the thermal performance of ICs in virtual test and system environments. We offer detailed analysis of design trade-offs or compact thermal model (CTM) model development including Delphi CTM (JESD15-4). Whether it is a single die leadframe package, high density I/O BGA, SiP, or MCM, we offer the required solutions. Customers in this area have included Finisar, Tessera, Simpletech, and Smart Modular.

Consumer Electronics

In addition to the typical cost and IC operating temperature requirements of electronics products, consumer electronics products are typically limited by noise and external case temperature requirements. Optimizing cooling strategies using thermal gap pads, heat sinks, and shielding are things we are very familiar with. Depending on whether the system is handheld, a set-top box, or an eSATA storage device we have the necessary experience to develop the best thermal design to satisfy your requirements. Customers in this area have included Netopia, and Pelco Wireless.

Lighting and LEDs

With the lighting industry shifting towards more energy efficient luminaries, LEDs, High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs and Compact Fluorescent’s are quickly becoming the preferred source of light. Each of these lighting solutions presents their own challenges when it comes to thermal management. Our team of engineers has designed thermal management solutions for a variety of luminaries including integrated heatsinks for consumer based LED lighting, LED backlighting for televisions, and integrated heatsink designs for HID controller modules. Our team prides itself in their ability to design innovative thermal solutions for your products specific operating environment, and has a thorough understanding of the complexities of energy conversion into heat. Our engineers use both simulation and physical testing to create a solution that is capable of cooling your product as efficiently as possible. Customers in this area have included OSRAM, Phillips Lumileds, HID Labs, and Spatial Photonics.

Aerospace and Defense

Products designed to operate in these harsh environments need to leverage all that conduction and radiation have to offer. Many times the PCB needs to be considered in detail that typically isn't practical in a design environment. Our tools and expertise, however, allow us to consider all of the thermal paths in the necessary detail. We can study trade-offs with heat spreaders, thermal gap pad, and thermal via strategies and deliver the required design. Customers in this area have included Canova Engineering, and JA Reinhardt.

Peripheral and Expansion Products

There are pros and cons in developing products that need to work in someone else's system. Typically what is offered is a reference design and a rigorous set of operating requirements. Many customers call on us to help define and develop this design information, sometimes even including an accompanying FloTHERM model. For products that fit into other systems such as PCIe, Mini PCIe, or ExpressCard we can assist you in designing and defining the necessary requirements for your customer. Customers in this area have included Sierra Wireless, Teranetics.

Networking and Telecommunications

Whether the system is a 1U or 2U pizza box or a blade server the thermal design typically hinges on proper airflow management and heatsink design and strategy. We have the tools and experience and efficiently develop a thermal design for the most demanding board layouts and environments. Customers in this area have included Stratalight, Opnext, and Elma Electronics.

Flow Services

Flow Services

Since 1988, companies worldwide have benefited from our Airflow Design services. We can make your design more efficient, eliminate the need for time-consuming and costly physical models, accurately predict the effects, maximize contamination control and reduce operating costs. As a full-service organization, Mentor Graphics can manage your entire project from initial concept to delivery of a finished solution.

Areas of Expertise

Data Center Design

With the increasing demand for electronic storage and telecommunications systems, and growing trends such as cloud computing, comes the need for efficiently and effectively housing the necessary equipment. The design of the ventilation system in these spaces, whether it be an underfloor, overhead or hybrid approach, is vitally important to ensure that the equipment does not overheat while reducing equipment, operation and energy costs. Increasingly, the managers of these facilities are turning to airflow modeling during the design optimization process, for both new spaces and retro-fitting. Customers in this area have included IBM and Sun Microsystems.

To assess the cooling performance for a data center design we offer the ability to calculate the Cold Aisle Capture Index and Hot Aisle Capture Index, as well as more traditional measures such as temperature and airflow fields, equipment inlet temperatures, etc. The Capture Indices measure how efficient a particular cooling strategy is, with 100% being optimal, and offer insight into which aspects of the ventilation system are underperforming from an airflow distribution perspective. Source: James W. VanGilder, Saurabh K. Shrivastava: Capture Index: An Airflow-Based Rack Cooling Performance Metric, ASHRAE Transactions 2007, DA-07-014, Volume 113, Part 1

Occupied Spaces Comfort

The comfort of occupants in occupied and other public assembly buildings can be a challenge. In particular, occupants are often concentrated at the peripheries of the space envelope. Providing good thermal comfort in these spaces can often result in the supply of too much air into the space, thereby increasing operating costs. Our Airflow Modeling Consultancy can run effective simulations of the inside of your atria, auditoriums, theatres, etc. and determine the comfort levels of your customers or employees. Our customers in this area have included L’Acquis, Affiliated Engineers Inc., and Perkins and Will.

Passenger Cabin Comfort

The comfort of occupants is a growing issue within the transportation industry, where there is need to provide comfort uniformly within the passenger space. Ensuring that your systems offer adequate levels of ventilation, heating or cooling can be a complicated task -- often, complicated by other factors. For example, the spread of contaminants on long haul flights needs to be mitigated. Our Airflow Modeling consultants can run effective simulations of the inside of your plane, train etc. and determine the comfort levels of your passengers. Our customers in this area have included SNCF, LIEBHERR Aerospace and PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Clean Rooms

In clean room scenarios, the purity of the products is vital, and the cleanliness of the air in given areas of the space is of prime concern to the designer. Our Airflow Modeling consultants can build a model of your clean room and trace numerous contaminants through it, whether they are clothing particles or other larger sources of contaminant. We can even trace the source of any contamination. We have been involved in numerous projects in this area. Customers have included bioMerieux, Merck, Glaxo SmithKline and SGS Thomson.

Health Care Facilities

In health care facilities, airborne viruses and bacteria can be a threat to both patients and health care givers alike. These can have a devastating impact depending on where this exposure occurs, whether it’s in a patient room, isolation room or operating room. It is important to be able to control or eliminate these contaminants through the effective design of the ventilation system. Mentor Graphics Mechanical has been involved in numerous projects in this area. Customers have included NIH, Affiliated Engineers, Inc. and Critical Environments Group, Inc.

Laboratories

In laboratories, it is important that the overall ventilation system for the space does not compromise the effectiveness of the fume hoods. In particular, potentially hazardous chemical vapors could escape from the fume hood, and cause problems for the scientists within the room. Our consultants can build a model of your laboratory and determine the effectiveness of the fume hood in containing the chemicals, and its interaction with the overall ventilation system. We can even trace the source of any contamination. We have been involved in numerous projects in this area such as those for Affiliated Engineers, Inc. and Flad and Associates, Inc.

External Flow

Modeling airflow around buildings can be important for many reasons, such as pedestrian comfort, contaminant dispersal from chemical stacks, or diesel fumes and particulates. Using airflow modeling makes it possible to check that design requirements are met without having to build expensive models for testing each time a design change is made. Mentor Graphics Mechanical has been involved in the external modeling of many buildings. Clients have included WSP and AMEC.